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Give your child an early taste of prom with a beautiful Valentine’s day corsage. Not feeling the wrist action? Use a safety pin to convert the corsage into a boutonniere. Either way this will be a pretty way to celebrate a lovely day.

I guess I’m on a poster-making rampage right now. Jane Austen, Lewis Carroll and Ralph Waldo Emerson are three authors which hold a special place in our family’s literary heart. So I’ve created three literary quote posters for each author.

Football (soccer) is a huge part of our lives. All three of my kids play the sport. Whether they are on the pitch, scooting around indoor or doing controlled footwork at futsal, encouragement and positive reinforcement is very important. So I created a KEEP CALM AND KICK ON poster. Is basketball, volleyball, baseball, tennis, American football, bowling or golf more your speed? No worries, I’ve got posters for those as well. All for your free download and customization.

Children should learn the meanings behind holiday commemorations. The depth and details of the explanations will of course be different depending on the age of the child but even the youngest children benefit from understanding why we have a “day off from school and work”. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, here are my recommendations for accessible books for preschoolers and elementary-aged children.

The new year is a great time to re-energize, reorganize and reassess your surroundings. My kids spend a great deal of their day in their workroom and so I am always rearranging and reorganizing to make it as useful and engaging as possible. I was lucky enough to snag some free Land of Nod bookshelves to replace a single, dark wood shelf which was too heavy for the space. The room is now much lighter and airier. And since the shelves are lower, more items are at eye-level and arm’s reach of the kids.

I know it is rather easy to make brownies from scratch and I do so on occasion but sometimes you just want a brownie as fast as possible and in those circumstances, it pays to have a good brownie mix in your pantry. My favorite is the Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix which I buy from Costco. It is also readily available in many stores, including on Amazon . I love brownies. I like them plain. I like them with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. I like them with a drizzle of caramel and toasted hazelnuts. I like them studded with walnuts and mini marshmallows. I like them swirled with cream cheese. I like them in muffin form, in bars and in dessert sandwiches.

The winter holiday season is a time of light and merriment. And for many families, it is a time to await the stomping hooves of reindeer on the roof. If that is the case for your family, this faux candle reindeer night light craft will be a beautiful addition to your holiday decorations. Not only can you add a herd of reindeer but you can also adapt this craft for snowflakes, snowmen, evergreen trees, wreaths and any number of other winter symbols and images.

The school year is in full swing, any struggles with school lunch preparations? Though my children often help to prepare meals, I don’t often encourage my eldest school-aged children to pack their own lunches & snacks. Of course this is at odds not only with the montessori-way of doing things but doesn’t lend itself to promoting independence or fostering healthy eating habits. It has been said countless times that a child who prepares her own lunch and snack not only feels empowered in her decision-making but also is more likely to eat what she prepares & packs. Knowing all of this, why am I still hesitant to allow my kids more opportunities to pack their own lunches?

I think delicata squash is my all time favorite squash. Better than acorn, better than butternut, kabocha and much better than pumpkin. One of the restaurants in Marin County that we frequent, Picco, does a beautiful delicata squash dish which I have adapted for an quick weeknight side dish. The ease of delicata is that the skin of the squash is thin and the flesh cooks to fork tender very quickly and most importantly - it is delicious.

Even change engendered by rage, hatred & anger can lead to good as long as we are vigilant and pro-active. You should never stop believing in your own intrinsic goodness and self-worth no matter what others say, no matter what they do. You are on a journey towards integrity, truth and wisdom. You are an ally.

Not only does this place setting look festive but it smells amazing as well. This is a craft you or your kids will enjoy creating to make your Thanksgiving table extra special. And you certainly don’t need to limit this craft to a dining setting, this cinnamon whisk would also look lovely on a door, mantle or as part of a tablescape.

When I first set up this website two years ago it was an experiment. It was a chance to use a part of my brain that was not getting much exercise during my daily grind as a Mama. Would I use it as an archive of my day to day life as a mother and home-maker? Would it serve as a creative outlet? Would it inspire me? Would it inspire others? Would I be able to keep up a schedule of posting articles on a regular basis? Would doing so become a chore? Would I get bored?

Wherever your family may be headed this Thanksgiving, why not arrive in style with a Turkey tophat? The ideal craft to occupy the little ones as you prepare Thanksgiving dinner. Fanciful and fun, pay homage to the sacrificial bird as all eyes will be on your delightful holiday chapeau. Gobble, gobble.